Fifth report of Session 2009-10 : Documents considered by the Committee on 6 January 2010, including the following recommendations for debate, Financial management; Mutual legal assistance in criminal proceedings, report, together with formal Minutes

Fifth report of Session 2010-11 : Documents considered by the Committee on 27 October 2010, including the following recommendations for debate, economic policy coordination (two documents); Europe 2020 strategy: integrated guidelines, report, together wit

The Communities and Local Government Committee note that the quality of domestic electrical work has improved since some of it was brought within building control eight years ago. But much more needs to be done to protect people in their homes. The main mechanism for checking electrical work covered by Part P of the building regulations is satisfactory is certification by a qualified supervisor operating under a Government-approved competent persons scheme. As long as the qualified supervisor meets competence standards, the person carrying out the work does not necessarily have to be a qualified electrician. The report calls for competence requirements to be rolled out within five years for all those actually doing electrical work to which Part P applies. In the interim, it is recommended that there be a limit on the number of notifications that a single qualified supervisor can authorise in a year in order to ensure that they devote enough time to checking each job. The Government should aim to double public awareness of Part P within two years and aim for an awareness level similar to that of Gas Safe within five years (45%). Additionally, the report calls for more proactive enforcement against those who breach Part P.

Small Modular Reactors are designed in a way that allows them to be manufactured at a plant and brought to site fully constructed. They have a range of useful applications, including industrial process heat, desalination or water purification, and other cogeneration applications. They could potentially have a key role to play in delivering low carbon energy at lower upfront capital cost compared to large conventional nuclear reactors but the commercial viability of SMRs remains unclear. Deployment of SMRs is likely to be achieved through sharing the costs between the public and private sector. The Committee would like to see the Government steering industry towards deploying a demonstrator SMR in the UK. Government should help to establish the right conditions for investment in SMRs, for example through supporting the regulator to bring forward approvals in the UK, and by setting out a clear view of siting options. Many of the barriers to deployment of SMRs in the UK are similar to the challenges of deploying larger conventional reactors. Small nuclear reactors will also generally raise similar questions of safety and security to those raised by large nuclear reactors. The Office for Nuclear Regulation also needs to be adequately resourced. In the longer term, Government should identify and help to establish future sources of commercial finance for the further development and industrialisation of SMRs. While current SMR designs have been predominantly developed outside the UK, there is scope for British industry to develop intellectual property and play a role in the deployment of the first SMRs

Smart meters, which allow energy suppliers to get remote electricity and gas readings from households and businesses using mobile phone-type signals and wireless technologies, should benefit customers through savings from energy usage and efficiency. In 2013 we first looked at the Government's programme to roll-out smart meters to 100% of UK homes and businesses by 2020. This inquiry reviewed the progress of the roll-out and we have been disappointed by the ongoing policy delivery challenges which the Government has failed to resolve: (i) Technical communication problems with multiple occupancy and tall buildings which should have been resolved by now; (ii) Compatibility problems between different suppliers and different meters; (iii) A slow start to full engagement with the public on meter installation and long-term use; (iv) A delay by the Government-appointed communications infrastructure company which has further set back confidence in the programme; (iv) A reluctance to improve transparency by publishing the Major Project Authority's assessments on the smart meter programme.

Access to Work (AtW) is an important element of specialist employment support for disabled people. It is unique in providing help to people already in, or about to start, mainstream work. It has the potential to be an extremely effective model, helping to address the substantial gap between the employment rate for disabled people and that of the rest of the population. Where it works well, it transforms the lives of disabled people, many of whom would be unable to work without it.There is strong evidence that AtW currently supports only a minority of disabled people whom it might benefit. There is a misperception that the sole purpose of AtW is to provide physical aids, equipment and transport for people with sensory impairments and physical disabilities; consequently relatively few people with other types of disability, and different support needs, currently use the programme. In scaling up the programme DWP needs to address this imbalance. Its priority should be supporting a much greater number of people with mental health problems, and intellectual, cognitive and developmental impairments, including learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. AtW's focus should remain on removing barriers to employment for the full range of disabled people who can benefit from it. DWP should make a strong and evidence-based case to HM Treasury for substantial additional funding for AtW and then aim to increase take-up through much more high profile marketing, and proactive promotion of AtW, including through Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches and contracted employment services providers.

work of committees In 2008-09 : Second report of session 2009-10, report, together with formal minutes and Appendices

In April 2009 a new testing regime, based on the Second EU Driving Licence Directive, was introduced. Deadlines for implementation had not been met and when the new test was finally introduced, it was met with intense criticism and safety concerns. The number of tests taken dropped dramatically in the first few months and the industry suggested that the new test regime would threaten many small businesses and jobs. The Committee was concerned to not only establish whether the test had gone wrong and how problems could be rectified but also to ensure lessons are leaned before the implementation of the Third EU Driving Licence Directive. They concluded that they could not see why the Government failed to obtain derogation from certain speed requirements and that though many elements of the new regime were appropriate it was important to take into account the concerns expressed and consider what adjustments might be required. They also believe that training and instruction for the motorcycle test needs to develop and change to reflect the new test requirements. The off-road module of the test also needs to be amended to allow candidates to adapt their riding to reflect prevailing weather, road and other circumstances. The development of better awareness of motorcyclists among other road users is also crucial and should not be neglected. Though the Government exceeded what was necessary to comply with the EU directive the Committee believes they were right to do so. It is the development of Multi Purpose Test Sites for which justification was weak and implementation inept which represents the least effective element.

What are the major housing problems in contemporary Britain? How effective are the policies designed to tackle these problems? These are the central questions this book sets out to answer, using a critical approach to identifying housing problems and the formation of policy.Understanding housing policy is an up-to-date text on a rapidly changing policy field written by an author with extensive experience in implementing housing policy. The second edition of this best-selling text has been completely revised and includes a new chapter on the political processes involved in the construction and delivery of housing policies. In addition, the new edition:*reviews theoretical perspectives helpful in understanding the normative dimensions of housing policy; *examines explanations of policy development and implementation processes; *explores the development of housing policy in the United Kingdom; *contains a chapter on comparative housing policy; *examines a number of contemporary housing problems: affordability; homelessness; low demand and neighbourhood deprivation; overcrowding; multi-occupation; 'decent' homes and 'sustainable' housing. *devotes a chapter to the relationship between housing and social justice; *includes an assessment of the impact of New Labour's housing policies and the policy orientation of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition. For more detailed information on this title, please go to the author's website http://housingpolicy.moonfruit.com